Who else is excited that it’s FRIDAY? Cue all the “girl raising hand” emojis! I love that, in this household, weekends equal family time. If we’re relaxing, we’re relaxing together. If we’re busy, at least we’re busy together. It’s been a long week full of to-dos, sick kids, meetings, and fundraisers, and I’m very much looking forward a little downtime. For one thing, bounce houses are on the menu, and that means my girl is going to have the biggest smile all weekend long. I can already picture her beautifully goofy little grin.

Speaking of menus, I don’t really love cooking on the weekends. (You probably could have removed the last three words of that sentence and it would still ring 100% true.) And as much as I would love to eat out all weekend, every weekend, I also like to pay my mortgage. Every once in a while I’m smart enough to think ahead and plan out a meal that will provide delicious leftovers all weekend long so I don’t have to cook very much. This recipe is the perfect mix of easy crockpot meal meets last-minute no-brainer. And it’s delicious. There’s a reason it’s all over Pinterest! Without further ado, here’s my. . .

Directions:

Step 1: Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients, except cilantro, on top of the chicken. Don’t worry about mixing yet. Just unceremoniously dump and go. Cook on LOW about 4 hours or on HIGH about 2 hours. (Guys, what other crockpot recipe is ready to eat within 2 hours?? None. Thank you.)

Step 2: Once chicken breasts are cooked through, remove and shred with a fork.

Step 3: Return chicken to the crockpot and stir until all ingredients are mixed. It will not look pretty, but you will not care. Your house will smell delicious, and I double dog dare you not to sneak a taste every time you walk through your kitchen.

Step 4: Set crock pot on WARM until you’re ready to eat. Enjoy with tortilla chips and fresh cilantro sprinkled on top! (My husband also loves when I slice up some avocado and throw that on top too.)

*Note: I chose to leave out the corn this time. Sometimes I’m feeling it, sometimes I’m not. What? You’re not the boss of me. (Just kidding. Still friends?)

The great thing about this recipe (besides the fact that it tastes ah-ma-zing) is how quickly you can throw it together! I almost always have these ingredients on hand, and I can throw it in my crockpot well into the afternoon and still have dinner ready on time. You can even toss in your chicken breasts frozen if you forgot to defrost them, but you’ll have to let it cook for a while longer.

So try it out, and let me know what you think! Do you make something similar? Have any tips and tricks you want to share with the class? Leave a comment or send me a message! Have a great weekend!

Ok, I’m just going to admit it. I’m thirty years old, and I just don’t know if I like to cook. I don’t necessarily dislike it, but it’s also not something that whips me into a frenzy. (Now, baking is another story. I LOVE to bake. But more on that another day.) I blame my mother. My amazing chef of a mother, who can produce just about any dish. Anytime. Anywhere. She laughs in the face of recipes, and can substitute any missing item with something of equal or greater gustatory value without skipping a beat. She has more kitchen tools than a Williams-Sonoma catalog (and actually uses them on a daily basis). But I’m just not sure I inherited that gene. Don’t start feeling bad for my husband. I cook most nights of the week and can do it rather well, but I almost exclusively rely on recipes. Heaven forbid I run out of oregano mid-prep. I’m talking borderline meltdown. Someone better run to the store quick, or we’re all eating Luca’s pureed peas and carrots for dinner.

Well, Mom, today I might make you proud. I’ve always been a fan of chicken salad. There are so many variations to enjoy, but I finally put the cookbooks aside and worked out my own recipe for my. . .

Favorite Chicken Salad

It takes less than 30 minutes to make, and yields 6-8 servings.

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken, removed from the bone and finely chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed

1 cup golden raisins

2-3 green onions, chopped

Fresh basil, finely chopped

1 lime, juiced

1 cup mayonnaise

Directions:

Remove chicken from the bone and chop into small cubes. Core and cube apple. Combine remaining ingredients. Best if left overnight in the fridge (but I dare you to wait that long to eat it). Enjoy with crackers, on a croissant, or on a bed of fresh greens.

I had to recruit my very best mixer to ensure that all the ingredients were thoroughly distributed. Sometimes you just have to delegate.

There’s something about the combination of tangy, sweet, and fresh that makes this chicken salad so so good. Try it this weekend, and let me know how you like it!

What’s your favorite chicken salad recipe? Post it in the comments or email me. I’d love to try it out! Better yet, just make it and bring it on over. I’m sure we have lots to catch up about over chicken salad.